The Book Of Shadows
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: While researching a paper for school, Phoebe learns the secret behind the Book Of Shadows.
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED "The Book Of Shadows"  
By J. B. Tilton email: Rating: G

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes "Exit Strategy" and "Look Who's Barking".)

While researching a paper for school, Phoebe learns the secret behind the Book Of Shadows.

ONE

Phoebe walked into the manor and dropped her books on the entryway table. Prue was just coming down the stairs.

"Hey, I thought you were at work," said Phoebe.

"Computer system went down again," said Prue. "The technician said it would be tomorrow before they have it back up. Not much I can do until then so I decided I'd take the afternoon off. Are you okay? You look haggard."

"Yeah, I'm okay," said Phoebe. "It's just this paper I'm doing for extra credit. It's turning out to be more work than I anticipated."

"Well, you did tell your professor that your behavior was an experiment," said Prue. "After being infected with the seven deadly sins, I think you came up with a pretty good excuse for your professor. I would have loved to seen the look on his face when you began unzipping his pants with your teeth."

"I had to tell him something," said Phoebe. "He thought I had lost my mind. And when he offered me extra credit, which I really, really need, by doing this paper I figured I couldn't say no. He might have gotten suspicious. Still, I've got most of the research done. I just have to type the paper now. How's Piper doing?"

"She seems to be adjusting well," said Prue. "She's in the kitchen right now making dinner. Except she keeps calling me in to get things for her off the top shelves of the cabinets. Ever since she's gotten that ability to blow things up she's afraid to lift her arms."

"Can't say I blame her," said Phoebe. "The other day she reached for a glass and exploded it all over the kitchen."

"I hope she gets control of it soon," said Prue. "It's getting to be a hassle being called into the kitchen every two minutes."

Smiling, the two went into the kitchen. Piper was standing over the stove stirring a simmering pot while Leo was at the table cutting up some vegetables.

"Hey, Leo," said Prue. "I didn't know you were here."

"I just got in a few minutes ago," said Leo. "Piper asked if I wanted to help with dinner so I said okay."

"Domesticated all ready, huh?" giggled Phoebe.

"Just being a considerate husband," said Piper. "Hi, Phoeebs. How's the paper coming?"

"Grueling," said Phoebe. "Writing a paper on how social behavior has changed over the years is more involved that it sounds. In fact, the professor was so impressed with my paper on our family history that he suggested I combine it with this one. Show how our ancestors compare with how things are today."

"Well that certainly sounds interesting," said Leo. "You did say your paper on the family history was the most complete one in the entire class."

"I did have some help with it," said Phoebe. "Not everyone has a Book of Shadows with virtually their entire family line listed in it."

"Hardly the entire family line," said Leo. "It only contains those of your family of importance. There was a lot of Melinda Warrens' family line that were never included in the Book of Shadows."

"So I've found out," said Phoebe. "I was even able to go back a few generations before Melinda Warren."

"Maybe we should add them to the Book of Shadows," suggested Prue. "You never know when something like that might come in handy."

"That's not a bad idea," said Piper. "Pheebs, feel like updating the Book of Shadows when you finish your paper?"

"I guess so," said Phoebe. "Just let me get the paper finished first. After I'm done with it I should be able to take it easy for a while."

"Sure, no rush," said Piper. "Leo, can you get me that pan from the top cabinet, please?"

"Honestly, Piper," said Prue, "I think you're overreacting. You haven't blown up anything all day."

"And I don't intend to," said Piper. "Until I get a handle on this new power I don't want to take any chances."

"Hey, Leo," said Phoebe as Leo was getting the pan for Piper, "how well do you know the Warren family line?"

"Pretty well, I guess," said Leo. "I was briefed on the family line before I was assigned as your Whitelighter. Mostly beginning with Melinda Warren."

"Well, maybe you could give me a hand with some of the names I've found during my research," said Phoebe. "Some of the records back then aren't very complete."

"I'll help as much as I can," said Leo. "But I can't guarantee I'll know any more than you've all ready been able to find out."

"I understand," said Phoebe. "Any help you can give will be appreciated."

"Sure, no problem," said Leo.

"In fact," said Phoebe, "there's one particular name you might be able to help with. I found it in an old Bible in the library but all I can find out is the name and a date of birth."

"A lot of families listed births and deaths in their family Bibles," said Leo. "In fact, they can be considered official records in many instances."

"I know," said Phoebe. "And a lot of old family Bibles can be found in some libraries. But in this one there's just a birth record, nothing about when this person died."

"Well, what's the name?" Leo asked. "Maybe I can help with it."

"Patrick Warren," said Phoebe. "According to the Bible I found the name in he was born March 12, 1693 near Salem, Massachusetts."

As Leo started to hand the pan to Piper, he suddenly dropped it and it clattered to the floor.

"Leo," Piper said, "are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Where did you find that name?" demanded Leo, suddenly very serious.

"Just in an old Bible, like I said," said Phoebe. "What's the matter, Leo?"

"Yeah, Leo," said Prue. "You seem to recognize that name."

"I do," said Leo. "I'm just surprised that Phoebe was able to find it. Any records to Patrick Warren were supposed to have been expunged decades ago."

"Expunged?" Phoebe questioned. "You mean someone tried to erase any information on this Patrick Warren?"

"Yes," said Leo. "In fact, it was done at the orders of the Elders. After what happened they felt it best if any records of him were removed."

"Who was he?" Piper asked. "And what could be so bad that the Elders would want to destroy all the records about him?"

"What happened is a bit complicated," said Leo. After a pause he continued. "As for who he was, that's the easy part. He was Melinda Warrens' son." 


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"Wait a minute," said Piper. "Are you telling us that Melinda Warren had a son?"

"Yes," said Leo. "He was Melinda Warren's second child. He was born a couple of years after Prudence was born."

"Why is there no mention of him in the Book of Shadows?" Prue asked.

"Maybe he wasn't a witch," suggested Phoebe. "It's usually passed down through the females of the line. That would explain why he wasn't listed."

"No, that's not the reason," said Leo. "From all indications, Patrick was going to be a very powerful witch. Nearly as powerful as Melinda herself. Even at his young age he was exhibiting all of Melinda's powers. He wasn't able to control them as I'm sure you can imagine."

"So what happened?" asked Prue. "And why would the Elders want any record of him expunged?"

"That's a little hard to explain," said Leo. "Ordinarily I wouldn't say anything about it. But he was one of your ancestors. I guess you have a right to know about him. Besides, I need Phoebe to tell me where she found his name so it can be expunged. And I know you'll insist on knowing why before you do."

"Well, you're right about that," said Phoebe. "It was just one entry in an old Bible. I doubt anyone else would even make a connection with it, assuming they even found it."

"Demons might," said Leo. "That's one of the reasons any records of him were expunged."

"So the elders are trying to remove any evidence he existed," said Piper. "You still haven't explained why they would do such a thing."

"Well, as unlikely as it might be," continued Leo, "it is possible that some demon might be able to use the information to find a way to use it against you. If they don't know he ever existed there's not much chance of that happening."

"You still haven't explained why," said Piper.

"Like I said," said Leo, "it's a bit complicated. A lot of it stemmed from the lack of medical knowledge in those days. Many illnesses and afflictions were attributed to supernatural causes. Today most of those can be explained medically or scientifically."

"So Patrick had some kind of illness," said Prue.

"Actually it was more of a disorder," said Leo. "It's a rare condition called xeroderma pigmentosum, usually referred to as simply X.P. It's a genetic condition that in effect makes the victim allergic to the sun."

"Allergic to the sun?" Phoebe questioned.

"Well, that's the easiest way to explain it," said Leo. "In actuality, it's an ultra-sensitivity to ultraviolet light. The sun produces huge amounts of ultraviolet light. That's what causes suntans and sunburns. A lot of people don't know you can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day because the ultraviolet light still comes through the clouds."

"So what does this X.P. do?" Prue asked.

"In a normal, healthy person," said Leo, "damaged cells are excised by the body's immune system. The damaged cells are excised and healthy cells replace them. In a person with X.P. the immune system malfunctions. The damaged cells aren't excised."

"That sounds dangerous," said Phoebe.

"It is," said Leo. "The victim develops sores on their body that are extremely painful. In most cases those suffering from X.P. don't live long enough to reach their teenage years. Most die at a very young age. If I remember correctly, the condition is so rare that there are less than one thousand known cases in the United States."

"And you said Patrick had this X.P.?" Piper questioned.

"Yes," said Leo. "Of course, X.P. wasn't even diagnosed until, I think, the 1960s. Before that, not even doctors knew what they were dealing with. And, of course, three hundred years ago, anyone who had it was considered cursed. They felt the child was being punished for some sins of the parents."

"Is that why Melinda was accused of being a witch?" Piper asked. "Because her son was 'cursed' with this disorder?"

"Not directly," said Leo, "but it didn't help matters much."

"That doesn't sound like a reason to eradicate all evidence that Patrick existed," said Phoebe. "Just because he had some rare genetic disorder."

"That wasn't the reason," said Leo. "It was the catalyst for what happened but if that had been all there was to it the Elders would never have become involved."

"So why the eradication?" Prue asked. "What was this X.P. the catalyst for?"

"For what Melinda Warren finally did about it," said Leo. "What happened would be difficult for a lot of people to understand. I'm not sure if the three of you would be able to understand it. But Melinda felt she had no other choice. That there was no other way to protect Patrick."

"She didn't kill him?" Piper asked, somewhat in shock. "To protect him from this X.P. or something?"

"Oh, no," said Leo. "Melinda doted on Patrick. She did everything she could to help and protect him. In the end, she honestly felt she had no other choice for what she did."

"That sounds ominous," said Prue. "Just what did Melinda do to Patrick?"

"Not ominous really," said Leo. "Some would consider it drastic. The three of you might even think it was drastic but Melinda felt it was the only option left to her. I guess in order to understand what she did and why it would probably be best if you knew everything that led up to it. So that you know the whole story behind what eventually happened."

"We're all ears," said Phoebe. "I'm guessing this little story isn't something I'll be able to use for my paper."

"I doubt it," said Leo. "Anyway, I guess it all started when Patrick was about two years old. Melinda was fighting a particularly powerful warlock named Sebastian Craggen. At the time he was the most powerful warlock in the world." 


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

Melinda Warren walked around the corner of a house on the outskirts of the settlement. The sun had been up for nearly two hours. Sebastian Craggen hadn't put in an appearance for several days and Melinda was getting worried. Craggen wasn't the type of warlock to just give up and go away. She knew he had to be planning something; she just wasn't sure what that was.

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her. Bracing herself she spun to face whomever it was, her hands raised in a defensive posture. Several feet behind her stood a man in his late twenties or early thirties with black hair. He was dressed as any of the other men in the village.

"Matthew," she said with a sigh of relief. "Don't sneak up on me that way. I might have used my powers against you."

"I wish you would," said Matthew. "Then I could help you with Craggen. But you must return home immediately."

"Patrick," Melinda gasped, fear in her voice.

"Yes," said Matthew. "You are needed. Amanda is beside herself with grief."

"Amanda love Patrick and Prudence as dearly as if they were her own," said Melinda. "Whatever happened I'm sure was an accident."

"I have no doubt," explained Matthew as they hurried to Melinda's home. "She was fixing breakfast for them and left Patrick alone for only a moment. When she turned he was playing underneath the window. She had forgotten to close the shutters before the sun rose. He was sitting in the sunlight for several minutes."

"No," gasped Melinda.

"I have all ready applied the poultice," said Matthew. "It seems to have helped but not as nearly as efficient as before. We shall have to make a stronger one. This one will become ineffective very quickly."

"I know," said Melinda. "I am working on a new one."

"Mistress Warren," cried a distraught teenage girl as they entered Melinda's house. The young girl was nearly in tears. "Thank goodness you've come. You must believe me it was an accident. I turned my back for only a moment when Patrick wandered beneath the window. I forgot to close the shutters. You must believe me when I tell you I would never cause harm to him deliberately."

"Calm down, Amanda," said Melinda. "Matthew has explained what happened. I have no doubt it was simply an oversight. I know you would never willingly allow harm to come to either Patrick or Prudence. Do not concern yourself. I do not hold you to blame."

"Master Tate has applied the poultice," said Amanda as Melinda checked on Patrick. He was sleeping peacefully in his crib. "It is less effective than before."

"Then you should go home," said Melinda. "You are very distraught over this and you should calm yourself. I will look after the children for today. Please, go home and rest. I will need you here again this evening."

"Thank you, Mistress Warren," said Amanda gratefully. "I promise this shall not happen again. I will watch them even more closely in the future."

"I know you will," said Melinda reassuringly. "Now, go get some rest. And do not blame yourself. It was an accident, nothing more."

"You were quite understanding," said Matthew as Amanda left for her own home. "Many mothers would not be so understanding, especially with Patrick's illness."

"I cannot fault Amanda," said Melinda. "I know she meant no harm. And at least for the moment Patrick seems to be okay."

"For the moment," said Matthew. "But that will change soon enough. I wonder if Amanda would be so eager to help if she knew you were a witch."

"Probably not," said Melinda. "You know how the villagers feel about witches. If they knew our secret we would not be so welcome."

"Craggen could change all that," said Matthew. "He is a powerful warlock. You've had no luck in vanquishing him. If you would only allow me to help you. If you would only use your powers against me there would be two of us to go against him. Not even he could withstand that."

"We've discussed this all ready, Matthew," said Melinda. "It's too dangerous. I know you can duplicate any powers used against you. But you would not have the time to learn to control them. It would only put you in danger and I would not have that. Besides, you can help protect Prudence and Patrick while I'm out looking for Craggen."

"With Craggen vanquished you wouldn't have to worry about that," said Matthew. "You can return to your work without fear of exposure."

"I will vanquish Craggen soon enough," said Melinda. "In the meantime, I need you here to protect Prudence and Patrick in my absence. Please, Matthew, do not fight me on this. Craggen is my fight. It is my decision how best to combat him."

"As always, my love," said Matthew smiling. "I had to try. I do not agree with you on this but I will accede to your wishes. And I have no doubt you will be victorious over Craggen. Eventually he will make a mistake and you will vanquish him."

"In the meantime I must attend Patrick," said Melinda, looking at the room where her son lay sleeping. "He is getting worse. Nothing I do helps. None of my spells, none of my potions, nothing seems to help him. Even my attempts to remove whatever curse this is have failed. I wish I knew whatever sin I committed that cursed Patrick so."

"You have committed no sin," said Matthew. "This affliction is not a curse visited upon you for your sins regardless of what Reverend Parrish has said. There is an explanation for it, though we may not know what that explanation is. You must not believe you have visited this illness on Patrick."

"What else am I to think?" Melinda asked, tears in the corners of her eyes. "He is but an infant. He has committed no sin, no wrongdoing. This affliction cannot be of his doing. Perhaps I am being punished for my relationship with Morgan."

"My brother has nothing to do with this," said Matthew. "Although he is more powerful than I he is still a good man. I cannot believe you would be punished in this way because of your involvement with him."

"Still, there must be some cause," said Melinda. "We must find this cause and put an end to it soon or Patrick may not survive. And I have sworn that will not happen."

"Then let us begin work on a new poultice," said Matthew. "Perhaps together the two of us can come up with something more effective than what you are using now."

Melinda smiled at Matthew. He was such a stabilizing influence on her. And he had been a great help ever since Craggen had come to the village. The other villagers believed Craggen to be a benevolent benefactor. She knew differently. He was a warlock bent on destroying all who opposed him. She would vanquish him, she knew that. But first she had to find him. And he was proving to be more elusive than she had first hoped. 


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

That night Melinda had no better luck finding Craggen than she had the previous few nights. She couldn't understand it. What was he planning? The last time they had fought he had boasted that he would kill her and take her powers. But after he had blinked away there had been no sign of him. That was five days ago.

She had spent the last five days trying to find where he had been hiding. Publicly, he had said he was going south on business for a couple of weeks. And there had been no sign of him at his home in all that time. The other villagers believed him gone. But he had supposedly left over a week ago. There had been two encounters with him, both at night, and then nothing.

So where was he holding up? Not in town, obviously. There were any number of caves nearby that he could be hiding in but she had searched many of them without any sign of him. There was only one answer she could think of.

Someone was hiding him. But who? The Craft was a forbidden art in this small, New England settlement. Punishable by death if anyone were convicted of it. Which is why she and Matthew had to keep their true identities a secret. But who in the village would hide and protect a warlock?

The sun was just beginning to rise and she was on the outskirts of town. Very soon the villagers would be rising to begin their daily chores. She was always careful to be home before that happened so there wouldn't be any questions about why she was about in the dead of night.

"Did you miss me?" said a voice with a slight British accent behind her.

Melinda spun around at the sound of the voice. Standing several feet behind her was a man about six feet tall with jet-black hair. He wore a goatee the same black but with some spots of gray in it. He was dressed in a suit that suggested he was a man of considerable means.

"Craggen," said Melinda.

"You've been busy these past few nights," said Craggen. "Running about the countryside searching endless caves for me. I've enjoyed it to no end. But that fun must cease now. I've toyed with you long enough. It's time to put an end to this."

"You're right about that," said Melinda, bringing her hands up.

Before she could use her power the warlock pulled an athame from behind his back and threw it at her. Instinctively Melinda dropped to the ground to avoid the missile. It barely missed her head, embedding itself in a tree only a couple of feet behind her.

"Off to finish my business," said Craggen who then suddenly blinked away.

Melinda reached up and pulled the athame from the tree wondering what he had been talking about. His business was with her. Where would he be going? As she pulled the dagger from the tree a premonition struck her. She watched as Craggen bent over a small crib and picked up a child from the crib. Then he blinked and was gone.

"Patrick," gasped Melinda recognizing her son in the vision.

She turned and ran as fast as she could for her home, fearing for Patrick. As a warlock, Craggen could blink from one location to another. She did not have that luxury. It would take her several minutes to reach her home. Desperately she prayed that she would get there in time.

As she reached the front of her house she saw the door lying on the ground, torn from its' hinges. Fearing the worst, she hurried inside. In the small bedroom where Prudence and Patrick slept she found Prudence still asleep in her bed. Patrick's crib was empty.

Melinda heard a moan in the outer room. She turned and hurried to see what it was. Lying near the table in the kitchen was Matthew. He was just rising from the floor and a small cut over his right eye was bleeding.

"Matthew, are you all right?" questioned Melinda.

"I think so," said Matthew. "Craggen was here. He attacked before I knew what was happening. I must have been knocked unconscious because the next thing I knew I was waking up on the floor."

"Amanda," Melinda said, looking around the house.

"She's safe," said Matthew. "I sent her home. I figured she could use the rest and I could watch the children while you were out."

"Thank goodness," said Melinda. "Matthew, Craggen has taken Patrick. I have no idea where he is."

"He's at Millers' Creek," said Matthew. "Just before he attacked he said for you to meet him there. If you don't go, he said you'd never see Patrick again."

"This will end now," said Melinda, pulling a small crystal from a box over the fireplace. "His attacks against me are one thing. But now he's attacked a defenseless child. That's despicable even for a warlock. I'm putting an end to this now."

"He's expecting you," said Matthew. "It's a trap and you know it. You can't go alone. He'll be ready for you."

"I have to," said Melinda. "Patrick's life is at stake. He'll kill Patrick if I don't go. I don't have any other choice."

"I know," said Matthew, "and I agree. I only said you can't go alone. You need me. If you go alone he'll use Patrick against you. You won't attack for fear of harming your son and that will give Craggen the opening he needs to destroy you. With my help we can rescue Patrick and finish Craggen for good."

"It's too dangerous," protested Melinda.

"I'm willing to accept the risk," said Matthew. "Once he's finished with you he'll probably just kill Patrick anyway. And then he'll come for Prudence. He can't risk her growing up and coming after him for revenge later. Face it, Melinda. You have no choice now. Despite the dangers you need me. And if I'm to face him and save Patrick I'll need your power for protection. There is no other way."

Melinda looked at Matthew. He was right. Craggen was too powerful. Matthew wouldn't stand a chance against him without her powers. She couldn't fight Craggen and save Patrick at the same time. If Craggen won he would almost certainly kill both Patrick and Prudence. And there wasn't time to come up with an alternative solution. After a moment's thought, Melinda raised her hand and Matthew was pushed back against the cabin wall by her telekinetic power.

"One down," said Melinda. "Two to go. But I don't see how I'm going to be able to freeze you. That power doesn't work against a witch."

"I've all ready thought of that," said Matthew. "A spell I wrote some time ago. It will make me susceptible to your powers for a short time. Just long enough for you to freeze me so that I can duplicate it."

"You seem pretty sure I'd eventually agree to this," said Melinda.

"Just being prepared in case you did," said Matthew.

Melinda smiled at Matthew. He always was very intelligent. Now she was glad he had the foresight to prepare for this eventuality. She stood watching silently as he incanted the spell.

Melinda cautiously approached a small cave that stood beside Miller's Creek. It was the only cave near the creek for miles. It was also one of the caves she had not had the opportunity to check. Which meant he had probably been hiding here the entire time.

She knew Craggen would be there somewhere. This would be their last battleground. And somewhere, probably inside the cave, would be Patrick. Before she could rescue him, she'd have to deal with Craggen.

But Craggen didn't know about Matthew. Their plan was simple. Melinda would engage Craggen. While he was busy fighting her, Matthew would sneak in and rescue Patrick. Once the baby was safely out of the danger, Matthew would return and help vanquish Craggen if Melinda had not yet done so.

It was a risky plan but the only one they had. Craggen was a powerful warlock; the most powerful one alive. Melinda was the most powerful witch alive. Either could destroy the other if one made the slightest mistake. But against Matthew, with Melinda's powers, not even Craggen could win. The only problem was protecting Patrick until they could vanquish the warlock.

"Right on time, I see," said Craggen, stepping out from the cave.

"Where's my son?" Melinda asked deliberately.

"Your maternal instinct will be your destruction," said Craggen. "It is your weakness. I know of your son's illness. And that you would do anything to protect him. That is what will destroy you both."

"Where is he?" Melinda demanded.

Craggen didn't answer. He just smiled and looked to his right. Melinda looked in the same direction and saw her son sitting on a small rise several dozen yards away. He was much too far away for her to get to him before Craggen attacked. She would have to defeat him if she were to save her son.

But even if she defeated Craggen almost immediately, it still might be too late for Patrick. It would take her several minutes to reach him. And all ready he was sitting in full daylight. Within minutes the damage caused by the penetrating rays of the sun could prove deadly to him. And there would be nothing she could do to save him. 


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Craggen suddenly formed an energy ball and cast it at Melinda. Instinctively she brought up her hands and used her telekinetic power to send the attack away from her. The energy ball struck a tree and exploded harmlessly. Then Melinda raised her hand again and used her freezing ability against Craggen. He brought up his hand and it glowed red. Her power was deflected away.

"It won't be that easy, witch," said Craggen. "You can't win. I'll keep you busy long enough for the sun to destroy your son. You can't rescue him as long as you're fighting me. In the end, he will die and I'll destroy you. Then I'll go for your daughter. She should be easy enough to turn evil. If I don't just kill her and take her power instead."

"No," screamed Melinda.

She used her telekinetic power on a fallen log nearby sending it crashing toward Craggen. Craggen ducked and the log barely missed him. He smiled and stood up forming another energy ball. He raised his hand and was about to cast the weapon when he was suddenly thrown several feet backwards, the energy ball being extinguished. Matthew stepped into the clearing near Melinda.

"This ends today," said Matthew.

"Matthew, you have to get to Patrick," cried Melinda, pointing to her son. "I'll handle Craggen. You have to get to Patrick before it's too late."

Matthew hesitated for a moment. Craggen was powerful. Melinda may not be able to defeat him. But the look in Melinda's eyes compelled Matthew. Suddenly he turned and ran for Patrick as fast as he could.

"No," screamed Craggen, forming an energy ball and casting it at Matthew.

Melinda reached out with her telekinetic power and took hold of the energy ball. Then she redirected it back at Craggen. The weapon struck Craggen sending him flying backwards. He fell to the ground singed but still alive. He stood up and raised his hands for another attack against his foe.

Melinda reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out the crystal she had taken from the box over the fireplace. She threw it at Craggen and he instinctively reached out and caught it. With his hands still raised he looked at the crystal in confusion.

"Earth, air, wind, and fire," Melinda chanted, "I call upon the power of nature to bind this warlock into an everlasting prison. Seal him away for all time so that he may never again harm the innocent or prey on the weak."

Craggen suddenly cried out in pain as the crystal he was holding embedded itself in the palm of his hand. At precisely the same instant the crystal began to grow covering first his hand, then his arm, and continuing to grow until his entire body was encased in crystal. He stood with his hands raised and a look on his face that suggested pain. But he felt nothing. He was encased in a crystalline prison, frozen for all time.

Suddenly, Matthew ran past Melinda into the cave beyond. Craggen momentarily forgotten, Melinda rushed in behind him fearing for her son. Matthew had removed his jacket and wrapped the young infant in it. He held the child close to his chest as he attempted to shield him from the penetrating rays of the son. Gingerly Matthew laid the small bundle on the floor of the cave and removed the coat.

Melinda was alarmed at what she saw. All ready huge sores had begun to form on Patrick's arms, legs, and back. Several smaller sores were beginning to form on his face. They were becoming worse faster than Melinda would have thought possible, even considering the exposure Patrick had to the sun.

"We're too late," announced Matthew. "You have defeated Craggen but I fear there is nothing we can do for Patrick. We have none of the poultice for his sores."

"No," cried Melinda, tears streaming down her face. "We can't just let him die."

"There's nothing we can do," said Matthew. "The damage from the sun is too great. Even if we had the poultice I fear it would not be enough to help. His injuries are too severe. I'm sorry, Melinda. There's nothing we can do for him."

Melinda just watched as her son lay crying loudly from the pain caused by the sores. She knew from experience that the sores were painful to Patrick. Part of the poultice had been a soothing ointment that deadened the pain. But Matthew was right. The sores on Patrick's body were too great this time. Not even the poultice could help him.

"Matthew," Melinda said very deliberately, "you have to hide Craggen. Some of the villagers will be arriving soon to gather water from the creek. If they see him imprisoned with us here they will know our secret."

"What about Patrick?" Matthew questioned.

"I will see to Patrick," said Melinda. "I am his mother. But you must hurry before anyone sees Craggen."

Reluctantly, Matthew hurried out of the cave to where the frozen Craggen stood. He knew the crystal encasing the warlock would be much too heavy for him to move physically. Matthew tapped into the telekinetic power he had gained from Melinda and moved the now statue-like warlock to the very back of the cave. He then used the power to seal over the back of the cave and made it appear natural.

When he finished, he moved back outside and erased all evidence of a heavy object being dragged into the cave. When he was finished, there was no indication that anything had ever happened there. All the while Melinda cradled her son to her breast comforting him as best she could.

As Matthew finished outside the cave he noticed that Patrick suddenly stopped crying. It was so sudden that it took Matthew by surprise. He quickly finished his work, and then turned and walked back into the cave. Melinda still sat on the ground cradling the young infant in her arms.

As Matthew walked around in front of Melinda he noticed that it wasn't her son she was cradling, but a large book. Matthew looked around but could find no sign of the baby that had been in the cave only moments before.

"Melinda," said Matthew, "where's Patrick? And where did you get that book? It wasn't in here a few moments ago."

"Patrick is safe," said Melinda. "No one will ever harm him again. I'm tired, Matthew. I need to rest."

"Melinda?" Matthew questioned. "Where's Patrick? We can't just go home and leave him . . . "

Matthew's voice trailed off as he suddenly realized what Melinda had done. He wouldn't have thought such a thing possible. But there could be no doubt. Melinda cradled the book to her breast as if it were a living thing. As if it were a small child in need of her protection.

"Melinda, what have you done?" Matthew gasped.

"I've saved my son," said Melinda through tears. "No one will ever harm him again. And he will never have to worry about the sun again. I had no choice, Matthew. He was dying and there was nothing I could do to save him. Now, he will be safe. Evil can't ever touch him again."

Still in a state of shock, Matthew helped Melinda to her feet. Quickly but cautiously he led her back to her home in a round about way so they would not meet any of the villages that would be coming to gather water.

Back in her home, Melinda gingerly placed the great tome in Patrick's crib and covered it with his blanket. Prudence still lay sleeping in her bed oblivious to all that had transpired. Then, near exhaustion, Melinda collapsed on her own bed as Matthew simply stared at the book that now occupied Patrick's crib. 


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"Wait a minute," said Prue. "Are you saying that Melinda transformed Patrick into the Book of Shadows?"

"That's exactly what happened," said Leo. "That's when the Elders realized just how powerful Melinda really was. That's when the decision was made to begin grooming her descendents for the Power of Three. It was only a few short weeks later that the witch hunts began and you know the rest."

"Yes," said Piper. "Matthew denounced her as a witch and she was burned."

"Yes," said Leo. "She hadn't fully recovered from transforming Patrick and wasn't at full power. That's part of the reason the villagers were able to keep her prisoner. You know that the Book of Shadows can protect itself from evil. That wouldn't be possible if it were just an ordinary book. But it has Patrick's power in it. The power of Melinda Warren. It's the same power that gave you three your powers."

"How horrible," Phoebe said. "I can't even imagine what she must have felt like having to do that."

"She felt it was the only way to save Patrick," said Leo. "There was no medical treatment for what Patrick had. And he was dying before her eyes. She did what any mother would have done. Used everything at her disposal to save her child. Now you know why there's no mention of Patrick anywhere. If evil should discover what happened, they might be able to find a way to undo what Melinda did. If that should happen, there's no telling what affect it might have on the three of you. Or future descendents of Melinda's."

"Is that possible?" Piper asked. "To undo the magic Melinda used to transform Patrick?"

"Frankly," said Leo, "no one knows. Not even the Elders are sure exactly how Melinda was able to cause the transformation. But Matthew apparently never said anything about it to anyone. And Melinda was able to imprison him in her locket before he did say anything. They told Amanda and everyone else that Patrick had been sent to family members who were better equipped to tend to him."

"And they believed it?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, Melinda was still grieving from what she had done," said Leo. "The villagers just assumed it was grief from having sent her son away. No one was suspicious. So the Elders decided to remove all reference to Patrick so there would be no indication he ever existed. If no one knew about him they wouldn't go looking for him or any records of him. And there would be no chance of them finding out what had happened to him."

"I'll see if I can get that Bible out of the library," said Phoebe. "It's in the reference section so I can't check it out. But I'll figure out someway to sneak it out."

"We'll orb in after the library closes for the night," said Leo. "You can find it and we can leave with it. That way there won't be any indication of what happened to it."

"That's a good idea," said Prue. "And Phoebe. See if you can find any more references to Patrick no matter how small. If there's more out there we need to find them so they can be removed."

"I'm glad you guys understand," said Leo. "Some people would think what Melinda did was drastic."

"It was," said Piper. "But from the sounds of it, she didn't have any other choice. She had tried everything and nothing seemed to work. She did the only thing left to her."

"Leo," said Phoebe, "couldn't a Whitelighter have healed Patrick?"

"It was tried," said Leo. "But it doesn't work that way. X.P. is a genetic disorder which means that it's part of what that person is. A Whitelighters' healing power can't change a person's genetic makeup. The healing didn't work. It would be like trying to use the healing power to change your hair color or how tall you are. It really only works on diseases or disorders that are external to someone's genetic code."

"That makes sense," said Prue. "Still, for a mother to have to make that sort of decision. I'm not sure I could do something like that."

"Mothers can make impossible decisions when they have to," said Leo. "It goes with the territory, so to speak."

"About the Book of Shadows," said Phoebe. "If it was actually Patrick before, does he know he's a book now? I mean, is it a cognizant book or something like that?"

"I honestly don't know," said Leo. "Neither the Elders nor the Whitelighters ever mention it. We just accept it for what it is now. One of the most powerful forms of magic there is."

"Well, that answers some nagging questions I've had," said Prue. "Like how the Book of Shadows seems to have a mind of its own sometimes. I know that grams and even mom have manipulated the book from time to time. But I've often wondered how it could protect itself from evil if it were just an ordinary book."

"It's far from ordinary," said Leo. "It's helped generations of Warrens since Melinda's time."

"Well," said Piper, "thanks for telling us, Leo. It helps us understand Melinda a little better. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why doesn't everyone get ready?"

"Good idea," said Phoebe. "The library should be closed in about an hour or so. Leo and I can orb in and get the Bible then."

"I can't imagine what Melinda must have been thinking," said Prue as they went to get cleaned up for dinner. "It must have been a terrible choice knowing that if you didn't your child would die a horrible death like that."

"Melinda had a rough life," said Leo. "But her legacy lives on in the three of you. I'm sure she'd be very proud of what you've been able to accomplish."

"We know she is," said Phoebe. "Remember, we did meet her. When Prue accidentally released Matthew Tate from her locket."

"I hope we never have to go through anything like that," said Prue. "You did say this X.P. was genetic. It's possible it could surface again at sometime in the future."

"It's also extremely rare," said Leo. "Both parents must carry the gene for it to surface. I wouldn't worry a great deal about it. It's extremely unlikely it will ever happen again."

"I hope you're right," said Phoebe. "I don't want to be put in a position to have to make the same decision Melinda was put in."

"I'm sure that will never happen," said Leo.

As the others went upstairs Piper continued to finish supper. 


	7. Chapter 7

EPILOGUE

Matthew Tate closed the trapdoor in the floor of his home. Using his newly acquired telekinetic ability, he moved a small rug over the trapdoor obscuring it from view. Satisfied that no one would suspect it was even there he moved a chair over the rug.

His plans had not worked out exactly as he had imagined. Melinda was to have vanquished Craggen. Even if she hadn't vanquished him, Tate was fully prepared to deal with her once she had finished with Craggen. And if Craggen had won, with his new powers Tate would have been able to vanquish him.

Melinda's trust in him was nearly complete. She never guessed that Craggen had been hiding in his cabin while she searched the countryside for him. She believed that he was totally captivated with her; willing to do whatever he had to to help her. She never suspected that his only goal was to gain her powers.

Of course, attacking her had been out of the question. She was much too powerful. And after seeing what she had done to Patrick, Matthew realized she was even more powerful than he had first suspected. His subterfuge had been the right choice. A frontal attack would have been futile. She would have vanquished him.

Now, he had her powers, Craggen was no longer a threat to him, and very soon he would be able to deal with Melinda without any danger to himself. Even now the cry of "witch" could be heard in some areas of the village. A few well-  
placed spells and very soon he could create hysteria in the village. It would be a simple matter to make sure that Melinda was caught up in that hysteria.

The book would be a different matter. The accursed thing seemed to have a mind of its own. Matthew had not even been able to touch it. It seemed to protect itself. No matter. Once Melinda became known as a witch, all the other villagers would avoid her home. They would believe it cursed.

He would have plenty of time to find a way to deal with the book once Melinda was dealt with. It would take her time to recoup her strength from transforming Patrick. He would help her, of course. Console her for the loss of her son. Until it was time to have the town dispose of her.

He knew what she would do with the book. She had often confided in him that there should be a record of the evil she had to fight. To prepare future generations in case they had to face those same evils. Now she had the book she had often spoke of. A book she felt would protect itself against any evil that would come against it.

Nothing could stop him. Very soon those who could oppose him would be gone. Then it would be time to deal with Morgan, his brother. Morgan was still a witch. He hadn't learned the power turning evil would give him. And Matthew would show him just how wrong he was.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction. 


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